2026 - 2027 Florida Forum
Speaker Series
Presented by
Venus Williams
Tennis Icon, Entrepreneur, Advocate
October 12, 2026, 7:00 p.m.
Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts
Venus Williams is a tennis champion, entrepreneur and advocate whose achievements include seven Grand Slam singles titles, five Wimbledon championships and four Olympic gold medals. Beyond sports, she leads ventures in design and wellness, authors wellness content and champions equality, helping advance equal pay and opportunities for women in sports.
Mike Massimino
Astronaut, Engineer, Professor
February 2,2027 7:00 p.m.
Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts
Mike Massimino is a former NASA astronaut, engineer, professor and bestselling author. After overcoming multiple rejections to join NASA, he flew two space shuttle missions to service the Hubble Space Telescope and became the first person to tweet from space. Today, he teaches engineering at Columbia University, promotes STEM education and shares lessons on leadership, teamwork and perseverance through his books, media appearances and keynote presentations.
David Axelrod & Karl Rove
Political Strategists, Authors, Educators
April 7, 2027, 7:00 p.m.
Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts
David Axelrod and Karl Rove are two of the most influential political strategists in modern American history. Axelrod served as chief strategist and senior advisor to President Barack Obama, while Rove was senior advisor and deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush. Together, they offer unique perspectives from both sides of the political spectrum on leadership, communication and public service. Beyond government, both are best selling authors, commentators and educators who support civic engagement and leadership development. Their insights help audiences better understand the challenges of governance, decision-making and the evolving role of democracy in American life.
